Government shutdown: What's closed and what's not

October 1, 2013|By William E. Gibson, Sun Sentinel

WASHINGTON -- You can still get a Social Security check, go to the post office or sign up for health insurance under "Obamacare" this week. But until the government shutdown is over, you can't go to a national park, get questions answered from IRS or quickly process some federal loan applications.

Here's what will be shut down, and what will not:

CLOSED

National parks, including Everglades National Park, will be closed. Once they get official notice, park employees will be closing gates and telling campers they've got 48 hours to leave.

Wildlife refuges, including Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge near Boynton Beach, and 27 others in Florida, will be closing.

Federal housing and student loan applications will be accepted but could be delayed for lack of personnel to process them.

The National Institutes of Health will stop accepting new patients for clinical research and will not answer hotline calls about medical questions.

PARTLY OR POTENTIALLY CLOSED

The IRS will receive payments but will shut down walk-in centers, telephone hotlines and audits.

Veterans benefits will be delivered, but claims processing and other administration will be disrupted.

Social Security payments will be delivered, but no one will be able to answer questions, replace benefit cards or schedule new hearings for disability cases.

Federal courthouses in West Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami will remain open for two weeks. Officials will reassess at that point whether they can stay open.

OPEN

Postal services will continue.

The National Hurricane Center will remain open, though some employees at the National Weather Service will be furloughed.

The enrollment period will begin under the Affordable Care Act for coverage that starts Jan. 1.

Air travel will not be delayed because air traffic controllers and airport screeners will still be working.

Embarking and disembarking on cruise ships will not be delayed at seaports such as Port Everglades and the Port of Palm Beach. They will remain open, and customs and immigration inspectors will remain on duty.

Congressional offices will remain open, offering help for constituents during the government shutdown.